This application claims the benefit of and priority from Japanese Application No. 2001-66593 filed Mar. 9, 2001, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a pipe with one touch.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventionally known example of this type of connector is described in JU 5-34389A. In this technique, a pipe is fitted to the connector and is secured by a retainer, and the pipe connection can be checked by pressing a sensor (checker) when the pipe has been connected.
However, the conventional technique requires the checker for observing the connection, whereas a reduction in the number of parts would be more desirable.
Furthermore, a satisfactory seal cannot always be achieved with the seal component in cases where the pipe is fitted to the connector when the retainer is in a temporarily stopped position.
The present invention provides a connector which requires no checker or the like, and which allows unsatisfactory seals to be readily ascertained.
To solve this problem, an exemplary first embodiment of the present invention provides a connector for connecting a pipe to another flow passage by engagement with a pipe engagement component formed on an outer circumference of the pipe. The connector comprises a casing having a pipe duct configured to be connected to the pipe and a pipe fitting bore connected to the pipe duct. The connector further comprises a pipe fixing component, slidably supported by the pipe fitting bore, for fixing the pipe to the casing, the pipe fixing component being constructed and arranged to have a temporary stop position for no fixing of the pipe and a connecting position for fixing of the pipe, the pipe fixing component being elastically deformable when sliding in the pipe fitting bore from the temporary stop position to the connecting position and a seal component mounted facing the pipe duct for sealing the pipe.
The connector is constructed and arranged to enable the pipe fixing component to be visibly observable in the connecting position.
When a pipe is fitted to the pipe fitting bore, the connector of the present invention allows the pipe to press the pipe fixing component, causing it to slide from the temporary stop position, so that the pipe fixing component engages with the pipe engagement component of the pipe to push it into the pipe fitting bore. The pipe fixing component elastically deforms with the sliding movement, and moves to the connecting position for fixing the pipe. The pipe fixing component permits the viewer to externally view whether the pipe is fixed at the connecting position.
The pipe can thus be attached to the connector with one touch when the pipe is fitted to the pipe fitting bore to slide the pipe fixing component.
The connector of the present invention is also easy to handle because the pipe fixing component is mounted while temporarily stopped in the casing when the pipe is not yet connected.
The connector is furthermore constructed with 3 components comprising a casing, pipe fixing component, and seal component, requiring no checker to check whether the parts have been connected with a good seal. The number of parts may therefore be reduced, resulting in a lighter and less expensive product.
In a preferred embodiment of the casing in the present invention, the structure comprises a viewing window allowing the viewer to check whether the pipe fixing component is in the connecting position. Such a structure allows the connecting position of the pipe fixing component to be externally checked through the window, thus ensuring that the pipe is properly connected.
A preferred embodiment of the pipe fixing component will comprise a support base slidably formed in the pipe fitting bore; a pipe engagement tab with an engagement groove extending in the sliding direction from the support base so as to engage the pipe engagement component; and a stopper engagement tab with a stopper extending in the sliding direction from the support base so as to engage with the casing for positioning at the temporary stop position and connecting position; wherein the stopper engagement tab allows the pipe fixing component to be externally viewed through the viewing window when in the connecting position.
In this structure, when the pipe fixing component fits the pipe to the pipe fitting bore, the pipe engagement tab elastically deforms, resulting in the engagement of the pipe engagement component of the pipe by the engagement groove in order to stop the pipe. At the same time, the stopper engagement tab moves to the viewing window to position the pipe fixing component at the connecting position, allowing the viewer to see through the window whether the fixing component is in the connecting position.
In another preferred embodiment of the connector, when the pipe fixing component is in the connecting position without fixing the pipe, the pipe will not reach the location of the seal component while fitted into the pipe fitting bore. This structure prevents unsatisfactory seals because the pipe will not reach the location of the seal component no matter what type of external force causes the pipe fixing component to slide to the connecting position in the pipe fitting bore.
In yet another preferred embodiment of the connector, the pipe will not reach the location of the seal component when fitted into the pipe fitting bore as long as the pipe fixing component is in the temporary stop position. Unsatisfactory seals are prevented in this structure because the pipe will not reach the seal component whenever the pipe fixing component is in the temporary stop position while the pipe is inserted into the pipe fitting bore.